Holy Wear-Me-Out Workshop versus Webcasts

There are some things as an author I always say yes to. Speaking about publishing and promotion to other writers is one of them. But man is it exhausting work! Plus sometimes I’ll randomly start doing or saying something part way through, something unplanned, that later makes me cringed. That’s me in the picture above, in front of the white screen, surrounded by 100 of my nearest, dearest, and most eager to ask questions friends.

May 1st I had the delight of conducting a 7-hour workshop add-on to the Houston Writers Guild’s annual conference (where I started saying “Hashtag Truth” aka #Truth anytime I talked about a squirmy topic people were in resistance about, LOL). We titled it Indie Publishing Done Smart, but I was elated that so many writers with traditionally published books came, not just because they may use the information if their path changes, but because they WILL use the information now on their current path. Publishing is a business, and most authors don’t fully embrace their role in it, no matter how they publish their books.

I’m all about embracing that role. #Truth

I’m also fairly transparent. #ConstantTMI

And I’ll tell you that like most authors, I am feeling the pressure of the glut of titles in the marketplace. We first noticed it September, 2015, and started hearing other people talking about it then, too. We are spending more to make the same, and the competition for promotions like Bookbub is ever higher. On the other hand, prices are inching up for indies, largely thanks to the move of traditional publishers to higher e-book pricing, and the market–readers and vendors–are making moves that show them learning to separate wheat from chaff.

I’m feeling it, but traditional publishers are suffering worse from it. So traditional authors, take note: if your publishers leave you stuck in this ebook limbo, that doesn’t mean you can stick your head in the sand. You’d do well to take some notes and adopt some of our ways, because traditional publishing has moved the mid list author down an income rung or three in the last twelve months, and until the publishers make changes, it’s up to the authors to distinguish themselves from the pack.

But I digress. #WhatsNew

I was going to write this post simply to say that the workshop went well—despite my exhaustion—so well that I’ll start expanding and releasing the topics covered as webcasts this summer. Little one-hour nuggets where I delve more fully into each subject, for a writer-friendly price.

And where I don’t have to travel, haul books, stand on my feet without going to the ladies room for five hours, or suffer the humiliation of brain freezes and white spaces 😉 and I don’t exhaust my favor-and-support bank with my oh-so-wonderful husband.

So stay tuned for more details soon.

Pamela

Pamela Fagan Hutchins writes overly long e-mails, hilarious nonfiction (What Kind of Loser Indie Publishes, and How Can I Be One, Too?), and series mysteries, like What Doesn’t Kill You, which includes the bestselling Saving Grace and the 2015 WINNER of the USA Best Book Award for Cross Genre Fiction, Heaven to Betsy, which you can get free in ebook, anywhere. She resides deep in the heart of Nowheresville, TX and in the frozen north of Snowheresville, WY. Pamela has a passion for great writing and smart authorpreneurship as well as long hikes with her hunky husband and pack of rescue dogs/goat, traveling in the Bookmobile, and experimenting with her Keurig. She also leaps medium-tall buildings in a single bound (if she gets a good running start).